Young Widow Takes Advantage of Roth Conversion

By

Jesse Sunenblick

Feb. 3, 2014 1:27 p.m. ET

The 35-year-old woman had stopped working for a year to care for her 42-year-old husband, who was sick with terminal cancer. After his death, she inherited his $700,000 IRA and $800,000 investment portfolio which, combined with her own $500,000 IRA, brought her total assets to $2 million.

Caring for her husband had left her with little desire to return to her job. Instead, she wanted to volunteer in the hospice field. So her...